Hayden Paddon to make shock World Rally Championship return after eight-year hiatus

Hayden Paddon. Photo / Paddon Racing Group x

New Zealand driver Hayden Paddon is returning to the World Rally Championship (WRC) after an eight-year hiatus.

The 38-year-old has received a shock call-up to Hyundai’s 2026 driver line-up and will compete part-time in the side’s third entry, beginning with next month’s rally in Monte Carlo.

Paddon will compete in up to five of the 14 rounds on the calendar alongside co-driver John Kennard, as he shares Hyundai’s third car with Esapekka Lappi and Dani Sordo.

Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux have been retained for fulltime campaigns after Ott Tänak’s move away from the championship.

“I’m very excited to be back with Hyundai Motorsport, eight years after our last event together in the FIA WRC,” Paddon said. “Hyundai is a brand I’m very proud of and loyal to after 12 years, and to now be stepping into a Rally1 car is very exciting.

“Our expectations are clear: to do the best job we can to support Hyundai, Thierry and Adrien in their respective championships, and making sure we are collecting as many manufacturers’ points as possible at the end of the weekend.

“I feel I am a very different driver compared to eight years ago, and the experience I have gained all around the world in different championships puts me in a good place to put that experience to use.”

Since last racing in the World Rally Championship, Paddon has claimed two European rally titles as well as this year’s Australian Rally Championship crown.

During his time in WRC, Paddon clinched eight podium finishes and won the Rally Argentina in 2016.

Hyundai Motorsport WRC sporting director Andrew Wheatley said: “We’re delighted to confirm our line-up for the 2026 FIA WRC season, which will see Thierry and Adrien compete in every round with a trio of very experienced and competitive crews sharing our third entry.

“Bringing in Dani, EP and Hayden enables us to call upon their individual strengths to support our manufacturers’ title ambitions next year.

“We had a difficult decision to make - whether to opt for experience and consistency, or bring in a rising star and nurture them. However, we are in the last year of the Rally1 technical regulations and we believe the right path is to bring in drivers with knowledge of the car and the team.”